Thursday, November 19

In the waning month of Daylight Savings Time, one of the creepy aspects of my commute was a black, Hummer H2 in the Remington Park Subdivision of Colleyville. After several weeks, seeing it most mornings, I came to think of it as an early 21st Century precursor to the Star Wars "Death Star."

You see, this vehicle was off on the dark side of Remington Parkway, silently waiting, just waiting, but with all of its running lights eerily glowing in the dark. I guess it was probably a mom waiting with her child for the school bus to show up, but it seemed vaguely sinister to me somehow. Not that it ever appeared to threaten me or any other traffic or pedestrian anywhere in the vicinity. It just seemed BAD. Like as in "the dark side."

Surprisingly, when Standard Time arrived, I no longer saw the Hummer parked in its appointed spot. Instead, on a few mornings, I'd see (I'm happy to report) a Jaguar XKR, or, more often, nothing at all. I figured the Hummer/Death Star decided to patrol some other galaxy, or at least another neighborhood. Until this morning, that is. Perhaps the Death Star needed a bit more shortening of the days before it felt it safe to reappear.

This morning, it was there once again, in the dark, complete with its glowing running lights. Seeing it, I resolved to capture it in a photo and so I stopped to pull out my iPhone camera. The intelligence associated with it was apparently disturbed by my stopping, or perhaps was just concerned I felt endangered, because its lights suddenly all winked out. With no flash, the opportunity for a picture was gone and so you see, instead, my impression of what I saw.

One might wonder why it's necessary to drive a child to a bus pickup point, within a subdivision, on a nice, albeit slightly crisp, morning, but maybe there's a good reason. Maybe it's just someone that's gotten a little too used to driving everywhere due to an infrastructure that has neglected the simple pleasures of walking around the neighborhood - and this is very common in subdivisions around here. Myself, walking about in the morning is enjoyable (unless I have a flat tire on my bike). Where people walk, they enjoy things a bit more. Just my personal take. Submitted for y'all's consideration...

In this case, it's more fun when they're vaguely mysterious and evil, although overtly entirely nonthreatening. It does put a little spice in the ride in to work. If you haven't noticed, I do occasionally have an overactive imagination!

Chasing and barking dogs perform a similar function. Biting ones are a different matter.

Funny you mentioned it - I DID see a black helicopter just the other day. However, I wasn't riding my bike at the time...

Rantwick makes sense; I make sense. Now we can both go back to idiocy or worse. Don't they have Death Stars lurking around London?

Reading ChipSeal's comment, I think I'll print this off, along with all comments and try the "Happy Thanksgiving" - if the Death Star appears next week. If I get maced, I'm coming after ChipSeal! I'll DRIVE to Ennis in the Land Rover, seek him out, and yell "annoying bicyclist" at him. This will represent both retribution for me, and closure for him, since no motorist has actually yelled that at him before.

I would be reluctant to suggest motivation of people I don't know. It's entirely possible that they DON'T live in the subdivision, or that mom is going to work and uses the Hummer as a backup if kid is running late, or just that they've gotten into the habit of driving and didn't stop to think that it's gotten a bit silly (I've seen that from time to time in my own family, especially when it's dark out). I think the overprotective theory is unlikely - mom could certainly look out for kid by walking to the bus stop WITH him/her - and get a bit of exercise at the same time.

either way it's too bad the driver doesn't live in my neighborhood. I recently drove to the bus stop in a downpour due to the begging of three children under my charge. The other neighborhood children berated us all at the bus stop. "What!" they said " Are you afraid of a little rain" And I had four 8 year olds laugh at me. Luckily I have a strong sense of self and was able to laugh with them. "Yes" I said " Can't you see I'm melting away!"

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Context

Subject MatterMostly it's about local transportation cycling, as it exists in the here and now. It's got a smattering of other gratuitous toy recreation thrown in to keep y'all a little off balance. For those that don't know me, toy recreation means English & Italian cars, aircraft - and downhill skiing.